Athletes’ statuses to be adjusted

The Philippine Sports Commission will adjust the status of national athletes, who either excelled or did not do well in the recent 2013 Philippine Olympic Committee-PSC Philippine National Games.

PSC chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia said this after learning that while many members of the national team managed to do well, others were beaten by aspiring athletes.

“There will be athletes who will be downgraded from Class A to Class B. This is for those who lost in the National Games, or for elite members of the national pool who did not do well,” said Garcia.

Among the aspiring athletes who shone bright during the games were Fil-Americans sprinter Eric Cray and pole vaulter Caleb Monticalvo, Ateneo pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, and middle-distance runner Jessa Mangsat, in athletics.

In archery, unheralded Crizabelle Merto shone bright by beating national team members for the gold in the women’s recurve, and Theodore Cabral in the open men’s Olympic recurve, while University of the Philippines bet Lorenzo Leonardo asserted himself when he won the junior boys’ singles honors of the badminton competitions.

The Philab men’s team took the baseball crown after easing the PH Youth team out of medal contention during the tournament.